Fansided

College football’s 15 most passionate and loyal fanbases

By John Buhler

Sep 10, 2016; Lincoln, NE, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers fans get ready for the game against the Wyoming Cowboys at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 10, 2016; Lincoln, NE, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers fans get ready for the game against the Wyoming Cowboys at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports /
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College football has some of the most loyal fanbases in sports but none more loyal than these 15.

There is very little comparison in the sports world when it comes to Saturday’s in the fall. College football is a truly American sport and the passion displayed by many teams’ loyal fanbases is almost unrivaled. Sure, there are NFL teams that have a raucous home environment, but going to a major college football game is a religious awakening you just have to experience for yourself.

College football’s best fans usually reside in regions of the United States that haven’t had professional sports for generations, or even at all. It’s great to see these weekly pilgrimages each fall in rural parts of the country to show support for their alma mater.

The traditions, the pageantry, the rivalry games, and kids in their early 20s (or people who still think they are) having the time of their lives is why college football has a stranglehold on fall Saturdays. Here are the 15 most loyal fanbases FBS football has to offer.

Sep 10, 2016; Gainesville, FL, USA; Florida Gators quarterback Luke Del Rio (14) drops back during the second half against the Kentucky Wildcats at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Florida Gators defeated the Kentucky Wildcats 45-7. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 10, 2016; Gainesville, FL, USA; Florida Gators quarterback Luke Del Rio (14) drops back during the second half against the Kentucky Wildcats at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Florida Gators defeated the Kentucky Wildcats 45-7. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

15. Florida Gators

Football is easily the most popular sport in Florida. With three Power 5 football programs in the state, Florida is a hot bed for football talent. No school in the state has had a longer track record of supporting its college football program than the University of Florida.

The Florida Gators have a massive fan base all over the Southeast. Florida is a blue-blood program with three National Championships and three Heisman Trophy winners. The Gators have been at their best as a football power under head coaches Steve Spurrier in the 1990s and Urban Meyer in the mid-2000s.

Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, better known as The Swamp, is one of the most hostile road environments in college football. Loud members from Gator Nation always doing the chomp only adds to the difficulty of playing a traditional power in sultry Central Florida.

Admittedly, people do jump on the Florida bandwagon when the Gators are good but don’t question the Gators’ true fans’ loyalty. They’ve had to suffer through the Ron Zook and Will Muschamp eras in the last 15 years.

There are plenty of things to do in Florida, but Gator Nation continues to pack The Swamp better than most schools do every fall Saturday. Though they are one of the most disliked teams in the Power 5, unity and the love of all things Mr. Two Bits gives Florida one of the best fanbases in college football.

Next: 14. Tennessee Volunteers

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